March 25, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is extending the modified COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program, which provides prioritized examination of certain patent applications. Requests that are compliant with the pilot program's requirements and are filed on or before June 30, 2022, will be accepted. The USPTO will evaluate whether to terminate or further extend the program during this extension period.

On August 28, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule titled ``Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District.'' That publication inadvertently omitted regulatory text rescinding four previously approved rules for the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). On September 20, 2016, the EPA issued a final rule titled ``Approval of California Air Plan Revisions, Department of Pesticide Regulations.'' That publication listed the wrong EPA approval dates and Federal Register citations for certain rules. The EPA is taking direct final action to correct these errors.

The Internal Revenue Service, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 4970, Tax on Accumulation Distributions of Trusts.

The Coast Guard is changing the operating schedule that governs the 63rd Street Bridge, across Indian Creek, mile 4.0, at Miami Beach, FL. A request was made to place the drawbridge on a weekend operating schedule to assist with alleviating vehicle congestion due to on demand drawbridge openings. This change extends the operating schedule to the weekend, so that openings on the hour and half-hour will be required every day of the week, except Federal Holidays.

On February 4, 2022, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), published in the Federal Register a proposed supervisory framework for depository institution holding companies that are significantly engaged in insurance activities, or supervised insurance organizations. The Board has determined that an extension of the comment period until May 5, 2022, is appropriate, and is therefore making that extension.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within a 100-yard radius of oil spill recovery vessels in Neva Strait. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by pollution response efforts. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Southeast Alaska.

The Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries gives notice of a closed teleconference meeting of the Advisory Committee on Actuarial Examinations.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, is correcting a notice of funding availability (NOFA) that was published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2022, entitled, ``Section 514 Off-Farm Labor Housing Loans and Section 516 Off-Farm Labor Housing Grants to Improve, Repair, or Make Modifications to existing Off-Farm Labor Housing Properties for Fiscal Year 2022.'' The notice announced the acceptance of pre- applications for subsequent Section 514 Off-Farm Labor Housing (Off- FLH) loans and subsequent Section 516 Off-FLH grants to improve, repair, or make modifications to existing Off-Farm Labor Housing Properties for fiscal year 2022. The purpose of this notice is to correct the application deadline dates published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2022.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on March 4, 2022, establishing Class E airspace for Falmouth Airpark, Falmouth, MA. This action corrects the legal description of the Class E airspace by correcting a typographical error in the geographic coordinates.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing approval of revisions to the Missouri State Implementation Plan (SIP) received on February 11, 2020. In the submission, Missouri requests to revise a regulation that controls emissions from reactor processes and distillation operations in the St. Louis 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area. The revisions to this rule include amending the rule applicability section for sources subject to the rule, removing unnecessary words, updating incorporations by reference, amending definitions specific to the rule, updating test and reference methods, and other minor edits. These revisions do not impact the stringency of the SIP or air quality. Approval of these revisions will ensure consistency between State and federally approved rules.